Last week I had the pleasure of "researching" my newest pairing project ... Beer and Cheese! Kelly Briglio and Tina Thayer, owners of Paradise Pantry, took time to sit down with me and explain a little bit about cheese but more importantly they indulged me for two hours while we tasted eleven different cheeses and seven different beers. This series will detail each of those cheeses and the beers that brought a little extra life to them.

At the beginning of each post I will briefly describe the highlighted cheese. Below the cheese description you will find the beer pairing suggestions. Most of the cheeses will have at least two detailed beer pairing suggestions and some will have three! The beer suggestions will include detailed descriptions of each pairing as well as detailed descriptions of the beer.

Click image to visit Paradise Pantry.

If you live in or near Ventura, CA be sure to stop in at Paradise Pantry and say hello and buy some cheese especially if these pairings inspired you to try something new be sure to let Kelly and Tina know you read about them here!

Tomme de Savoie is a semi-firm cow's milk cheese produced in the French Alps. It has a smooth, melt in your mouth texture with just a hint of nuttiness. The flavor can range from slightly grassy (the cheese was made in the spring and summer when the cows were in the pasture) to nutty (the cheese was made in the winter when the cows were in the barn eating hay) but will end with a slightly sweet tang. The rind has a great earthy funk aroma and taste - think wet leaf litter after a fall rain.

"Tomme" refers to semi-firm cheeses. So... Tomme de Savoie refers to a cheese from the Savoie region.

Extra Special Bitter - English Pale Ale

This beer pairs well with Tomme de Savoie for two reasons. First, the light caramelly sweetness and nutty malt profile resonates (amplifies) the sweet nutty "base" flavor of the cheese. This helps to balance out any tang or grassy flavors that are present in the cheese. The earthy hop flavors resonate with rind bringing out the woodsy notes and balancing some of the funk. If you are squeamish about eating the rind then skip that part and think of the earthy hop flavors in Bass as a liquid rind because many of the rind's flavors are present in the hop's flavor profile.

Aroma: Hop aroma can range from low to high but will likely have a sawdust-like or earthy floral spice of traditional UK hops. Moderate caramel malt aroma and/or noticeable fruity esters will likely be present.Appearance: The beer will pour clear, deep gold to copper with an off-white head. Head size and density will vary depending on carbonation level – cask, nitro, force carbonated, etc.Flavor: A pronounced bitterness will be balanced by a caramelly malt sweetness. As the beer moves across the palate nutty or biscuity flavors may surface and mix with fruity esters. Mouthfeel: These beers are generally medium bodied with low to medium carbonation.

HopHeadSaid: These beers are great to pair with foods because their nutty/biscuity flavors resonate with many types of food but especially cheeses. The earthy hop flavors also pair well with many cheeses and add a counterpoint to any residual sweetness or another layer interest that wasn’t there before. Their medium intensity (flavor, body, alcohol) means their flavors won’t overpower many entrée’s and they can hold their own against all but the most intense foods or desserts. In short – I guess I shoulda said this earlier- you can pair these beers with just about anything and not go wrong.

Beer Trivia: The Bass triangle was the first registered trademark in the UK. Lore has it that a Bass employee waited in line all night, outside the registrar's office on New Year's Eve 1875 in order to be the first person in line.

Below is Edouard Manet's "Bar at the Folies-Bergère" (1882). Please note that alongside the bottles of Champagne is an "alternative" beverage.

Robust Porter

This pairing is for people who are NOT squeamish about eating funky rinds. First, the slightly sweet nuttiness from the cheese is a wonderful counterpoint to the slight burnt toast and dark chocolate flavors in the beer. However, this pairing comes to life when the funky rind mixes with the porter. An exciting new flavor (think old world, barnyard chocolate) EXPLODES when the earthy funk and roasty chocolate flavors mix together. The sharp funky edge is rounded off by the roasty malt but the old world, barnyard chocolate flavor that is created dominates ... until you swallow and start all over again.

HopHeadSaid: Robust porters are really easy to pair with food. Their roasty notes resonate with grilled foods and their flavor intensities ensure they will hold their own in most pairings. Robust porters also pair well with many desserts. Their roasty flavors help balance sweeter desserts while their dark chocolate/coffee flavors resonate well with chocolate desserts.